Perry, Joseph
("Joe the Jet")
Football
b. Jan. 27, 1927, Stevens, AR
After scoring 22 touchdowns for Compton Junior College in 1945, Perry entered the navy and played for the Alameda, California, Naval Station team. When he was discharged in 1948, he signed with the San Francisco 49ers of the All-America Football Conference.
As a rookie, he carried the ball only 77 times but scored 10 rushing touchdowns to lead the league. The 6-foot, 200-pounder became a starter in 1949, when he got his nickname, "Joe the Jet," after quarterback Frankie Albert said of him, "his slip-stream darn near knocks you over. He's strictly jet-propelled."
The AAFC folded after the 1949 season and the 49ers entered the NFL. Perry led the league in rushing with 1,018 yards in 1953 and 1,049 yards in 1954 and was named to the All-Pro team both years. He also led in rushing touchdowns in 1953 with 10. He was the first player in NFL history to rush for more than 1,000 yards in consecutive seasons.
Perry was traded to the Baltimore Colts in 1961 and spent two seasons there. The Colts cut him after the 1962 season, when he needed to play only three more games to qualify for a pension. San Francisco brought him back in 1963 to help him qualify. He played in nine games before retiring.
In 16 professional seasons, Perry rushed 1,929 times for 9,723 yards, a 5.0 average, and 71 touchdowns. He caught 260 passes for 2,021 yards, a 7.8 average, and 12 touchdowns; and he returned 31 kickoffs for 737 yards, a 23.8 average, and 1 touchdown.